1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image quality adjusting apparatuses, computer program product and methods for adjusting image quality of graphics files.
2. Discussion of the Background
Image quality of graphics data produced by digital still cameras (DSC) and digital video cameras (DVC), scanners and similar devices can be adjusted as desired using a graphics retouching application run on a personal computer. Graphics retouching applications typically have an image adjustment function whereby image quality of graphics data is adjusted automatically. Using this image adjustment function, it is fairly easy to improve the image quality of graphics data output from an output device. Known output devices for graphics files include CRTs, LCDs, printers, projectors, and television receivers, for example.
Printer drivers, which control the operation of one type of output device —namely, a specific printer—also typically have a function for automatically adjusting image quality of graphics data. It is easy to improve the image quality of printed graphics data using such printer drivers as well.
However, the automatic image adjustment function provided by graphics retouching applications or printer drivers performs image quality correction on the basis of graphics data having typical image quality properties. As recognized by the present inventors, graphics data being processed, on the other hand, is generated under a variety of conditions, and thus image quality cannot always improved by a standard automatic image adjustment function, even where the image quality parameter values of the graphics data are modified using standard values.
Certain DSCs and other graphics data generating devices allow the image quality of graphics data to be adjusted in a desired manner when graphics data is created, thereby enabling the user to produce graphics data having certain desired image qualities. Alternatively, a user may be able to produce graphics data adapted to a certain photographic condition by way of photographic image qualities predetermined for the photographic condition. If the automatic image adjustment function is performed on such graphics data, the result is that the intentionally created image quality is also adjusted automatically to standard image quality, so that the automatic image quality adjustment does not reflect the intent of the user. Another problem is that automatic image quality adjustment tends not to preserve photographic condition settings made on the DSC end. This problem is not unique to DSCs, but is shared by other graphics file generating devices such as DVCs.